Malmo, Sweden – FINA wants to reduce the short-course World Cup series in an attempt to attract more leading names to each event.
“We need to cut the number of races to ensure that all the top world swimmers show up each time,” said Paul Alfons, Sweden’s representative on FINA’s World Cup committee, on Thursday. “We have to guarantee top quality each time there’s a race.”
FINA will decide next month whether to reduce the meetings from the present 12 to 10 next season. The body plans a maximum six to seven rounds in 2001 with increased prize money. “From 2001, the idea is to have six to seven races during one month or a maximum six-week period,” Alfons said. “We have 12 races now and that’s too much.”
FINA also aims to cut the number of races at each meeting.